Friday, March 30, 2007

Last night my girlfriends and I went over to Kidzone at Mt. Sinai Children's Hospital for our second round of Mt. Sinai Idol. The first time was such a blast, that we had to do it again.

They have a close circuit television station there that patients can tune in to. One of us hosted, and the other three of us were contestants. 2 of us were Siamese Twin Sisters, so when one was singing, the other was dancing, napping, eating, or helping the other with her words.

I was the first voted off, after my rendition of THESE BOOTS WERE MADE FOR WALKING. But, I still got to perform when my twin sister was up there singing her songs. In the end, both Siamese Twin Sisters got booted off, and the third contestant won. She was the first booted off last time, so I was glad she got a chance to redeem herself.

It is only a few hours out of our lives, but it feels really good to know that we are using our talents to serve others. When the kids call in to vote, it is just so rewarding. We hope to go back in May and do it again.

As if the chaos of moving, getting my purse stolen, possibly going on a tour, raising my children, cleaning up after my shedding crazy rug, and trying to make sure my birth control prescription is refilled wasn't enough, I have been rehearsing for a one woman show for that past two weeks.

I haven't blogged about it until now because I did not know the fate of the show until this morning. Now that I am not touring with BEE, I can focus on this very exciting project.

If you are in NYC, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come and support the show! It would be so rad to have friends and family and bloggers come and laugh with me for a very short evening.

So please consider it, and let me know if you will be in the audience!

She only felt like she might throw up about 4 or 5 times that day. She tried to breathe and calm herself, and distract herself until it was time.As long as she had the lines and music in her mouth, or was getting ready, she was fine...it was the moments in between that made her feel overwhelmed.

Her babysitter got there just in the nick of time, and even pushed through a bloody hand and foot injury, to make it ON TIME. She gave her instructions, ran through it one last time, kissed them goodbye and went to her audition.

She was a little early, so she fixed her hair, put on her pumps and ran through it some more in her head.

She went in the room. A lot of folks were there. She was introduced to James Lapine and the conversation went like this:

JL: You're from Chicago Proper or elsewhere?KG: I grew up in Naperville, heard of it?JL: Yes, where is that.She drew the compass to make sure she got it right.KG: West. It is west. Actually, there are no Eastern suburbs because there is a giant Lake on the East.chuckles.

More small talk.

Then it was time to sing. The song went well. Just one little throat catch, because today's choice of nervous symptom was WET WET armpits and DRY DRY mouth. Why? Why? Why?

Then it was time for the scene, which also went very well. They laughed at a few of her choices, which is always nice validation. Then it was time to "wait outside."

After a few minutes, she and the other Rona's were instructed to compose pithy remarks about imaginary people written on a piece of paper for them. See, 4 audience members participate in the musical as spellers in the Bee, and the part of Rona announces them with little bits of information.

The list was long. She had been thinking about it for a week, so she had a few ideas already (okay, 4 pages of brainstorming written down in her notebook). She ended up not really using it though, and just came up with a few bits here and there. Some of her favorite examples:

Mr. Sam Ellington (He is middle-aged white man dressed all in black)Mr. Ellington enjoys playing the Ukelele. His favorite color is yellow.

Mr. John Smith (He is well dressed in an expensive suit and tie.)Mr. John Smith wants to join the circus when he grows up...as the Tiger Tamer. He has a pet tabby cat named Pocahontas.

Captain Mike SpearCaptain Mike Spear is captain of the Putnam County Curling Squad. His hobbies include poeting and synchronized swimming.

Reverend David DavidReverend David David is the last of 17 boys. His parents were stumped.

There were more, but those were a few of her favorites. They laughed at all of them, but she has a sneaky suspicion they were just trying to be supportive. Others had more laughter, which was also appreciated.

She left feeling brave, and like she did the best she could. She called the next morning to get the news (even though she already knew it, b/c she figured they would call the same night). The casting director gave her some great feedback, but said she didn't quite fit in with the current company that is on the tour. She is okay with that, because she is starring in a one-woman show next Wednesday night AND she is gearing up to do the next series of Eebee Videos.

And on a personal note, the past two weeks of wondering if she was going to leave town or not, left her with melancholy moments. When she got invitations for Easter and Birthday parties, she thought she might really miss going. When her baby fell down and needed a kiss, she thought she might miss getting a chance to make it all better. She thought she might really miss talking to her older daughter about school and boys and Disney Princesses. And she thought she might be pretty cold at night without that warm DH body next to her. So, she thought...it's ok.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

My baby refuses to wear any clips to get her hair out of her face, so I finally just cut her some bangs yesterday. I think they are adorable, but I am her mom.Now I think she looks even more like her Dad:

When we were standing in line at Disneyland, and I was holding her, she looked at me and in all seriousness said: "WATCH, MOMMY" And then she twisted her mouth in this position. I thought it was hilarious, I can't stop talking about it. I finally captured it in a photo.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

The high was 72 degrees today so we slathered on the sunscreen and threw on some shorts and partied at the playground. I also received my new cell phone in the mail, so I'm back in business.And now, instead of a list of things that I have accomplished, here is the list of what I have yet to accomplish:

1. Hang all art (mostly photos) on the walls2. See to the faucet turner-thingy in the girl's tub getting fixed so that little sister does not remove it and whack big sister hard on the head again.3. Fix the painting oopses (a little bit of tape that is stuck, and some paint where it shouldn't be.4. Send large box of baby clothes/shoes to niece in TX.5. Throw away the last of the big trash items6. Arrange master bedroom furniture, finish putting stuff away in there.7.Call Home Depot and schedule window measurements and order roman shades for windows.8. Start a budget to save up for light fixtures to replace the current bulbs9. Paint two strips in the front room green (It will make sense when you see the finished product).10. Touch up white walls from move-in scuffs.11. Purchase new towels and rug for master bathroom, along with a shower caddy.12. Make a copy of our new keys for the super.13. CLEAN.

So...the list has gotten shorter, and life is almost normal. Tomorrow is the Spelling Bee audition, I have been practicing quite a lot, and I feel comfortable and ready. The only terror is the improv part. See, in the show thay have four audience members participate in the bee. My character comments on these people. She meets them or gets a description of them before the show and then writes little quips about them. So, I have been told I will get descriptions of people tomorrow and have to come up with little ditties for them. GREAT.

I suppose I will know fairly quickly if the job is mine, since the contract starts April 1st. I have two jobs waiting to here what the status is, because if I get the tour, I will have to pass on them. The nice thing is, if I don't get the tour, I have plenty to do, and it won't be a terrible blow to my emotional system.

Monday, March 26, 2007

I have gotten a few comments and emails inquiring about my necklace. I only wear one necklace, and I started wearing it only a few short months ago when my husband gave it to me as a gift.

Here is the story. My good friend got this necklace from her DH for Mother's Day. I loved it. I thought it was so cute, and every time she wore it I thought: "Gee whiz, I would like to have that necklace too." I don't like to blatantly copy my friends, but I thought about it a long time, and decided I would just ask for it in gold, and that and the names would make it different enough (yeah right). My friend was a good sport about it and supported me totally copying her. Thanks friend.

So, I went to the website and after researching, I decided that gold plated just wasn't going to cut it. I wanted the real deal. Here is why. 1. I don't have a lot of nice jewelry, and I knew I would wear it all the time, so it would be worth it. 2. I have funny sensitive skin, so I wasn't sure if gold plated would do something to my skin. 3. The gold plated didn't look shiny/high quality in the picture on the website. 4. I look better in gold (than in silver).

So, I wrote my husband this email:Dear Jason, this is your good friend Santa. I just wanted to let you know that Kristy has another secret blog that you don't know about. There she writes about all of her wants and desires. I wanted to let you in on a little secret. There is something that she has been wanting EVER since she saw that her friend had it. (insert inappropriate joke here)

Ho Ho Ho!....just kidding....Ho Ho Ho I crack myself up.

But seriously. It is a necklace, VERY similar to this one.

Now, the only problem with that one is that it is gold-plated. If you are fine with this, she is fine with it....but it might be nice to have the real gold huh? Not sure exactly where to find that, but figured if you printed out the photo and took it to your nearest jeweler, you might be able to give it a shot.

Now, there are a few details that are ultra important:

faceted ball style chain is one of them. (she would prefer two of varying sizes, one disc per chain, chains can be connected) NOT long....a short chain that has the disc resting near the collar bone.And the font on the discs:NOT cursive scriptNOT typed looking

Something similar to what is pictured would be fine...either all uppercase or not...up to you.

Now, as if you didn't know, the two discs will have one name each, and guess what those names are? You guessed it...D and O.

Ho Ho Ho...you are a good man Jason, and I know that you will get right on this, because that look of dissappointment on your wife's face Christmas morning would not have me ho-ho-hoing...

Happy hunting Jason, and may the force be with you.

Love, Santa

So, about 3 weeks before Christmas, my friend was over at our house for a party and she was wearing the necklace. And when the party was over the following conversation:DH: So, your friend's necklace, that is pretty small huh?K: What do you mean small?DH: Those discs on there, those are pretty tiny.K: Yeah, it's perfect like that, I love it like that, it HAS to be like that.DH: What's wrong with a quarter size? ...a series of rantings and ravings (I had this custom-made for you and shipped from Miami.....blah blah blah)K: a series of instances (blah blah blah..Miami? You work 9 blocks from the jewelry district in Manhattan blah blah)DH: a series of ultimatumsK: a series of "I told you EXACTLY WHAT TO DO THROUGH A CUTE SANTA EMAIL"

In the end, I realized that I did NOT specify the SIZE of the discs. Whoops.

He gave me the necklace the next day, obviously NOT on Christmas morn, and I was a little dissappointed at first b/c it was so big and shiny, and the longer chain was too long. I took it to the jeweler and had it adjusted and wore it for a few days, and quickly fell in love with it. I especially the love the chain with the alternating shiny/matte/shiny/matte.

I like that it is dramatic and bold and indetectable on my neck (accept when a little hair gets caught in it, ouch). I love it honey, and I love you, and all you girls out there who keep inquiring about my necklace....go get yourself one.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

I wasn't quite ready to take pix, but my daughter really wanted to show some to her teacher, so here they are.Our living area includes our two loveseats, a chair, tv and console, a small bookshelf (wasn't there when pix were taken), our teeny dinette set, and the stools that go up to the bar.

My bedroom still has a ways to go. I do love the wall color against my bedspread though. The headboard will come next Saturday, and we still need to decide where to put everything.

The office is the elfa system from Container Store and is AWESOME. I love it. We also have the piano in there and a basket full of instruments next to my husband's Univeristy of Maryland chair.

Still to do: organize bathroom and kitchen, hang photos, discard a few more items that are just not fitting dangit.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Here is how the story goes:Angela's son had to go to the bathroom. So, he went to the bathroom at the park at IS #10 in Astoria. He came out and said to his mom: "Mom, there is a school bag in there!"

So, his mom went in and noticed that it was not a school bag but a woman's purse. She picked everything up and put it back in the bag. She called my dentist trying to find out who I am, she went to the address on my license to see if I lived there. Finally, she found my postcards from my Christmas CD, which I carry with me as a business card.

And then she googled me and found my blog and commented with her phone number. I called her and she was so nice and gracious and helpful. She said my ID, SS card (I know, I won't carry it on me anymore), and keys were still there. Unfortunately, hours earlier I had paid $280- to have the locks changed, simply because the name of my condo, the address (on a letter from the owners), and the unit number (written on my key for the super's purposes) were all very available to the crook, and that was basically an invitation to come on by and take more stuff.

I am meeting her this morning after I drop off my daughter at school, and I will see if there is anything else there that would have been really inconvenient to lose...after I spray it all down with some Lysol of course.

Thank you Angela....unfortunately since I just threw a considerable amount of money away in repairing this damage (new phone, new car window, new locks etc.), I have nothing to give you by way of reward, but I think I will bring you my CD, especially since the postcards for it saved the day.

She was grateful that it happened on a Thursday, because it is easier to write about it in third person when it is raw.She was making progress on her condo, feeling good about everything. The weather had gotten so nice in just a few short hours. Her audition was so great this morning, she was there and back in almost half the time it took from her old apartment, and the baby had behaved the whole time.

The new bed she ordered came today, a few days earlier than expected...she thought about putting it together to surprise her husband when he got home from Boston, but the instructions said 2 PEOPLE REQUIRED, so she decided that she better wait for another helper.

The afternoon passed along fine, the Super visited to fix the crazy washer, and soon it was time to pick up her daughter from school. She parked on the street a little over a yellow line that indicated a driveway, but she figured she would be back so quickly, that she need not worry about it. She passed a guy sitting on a front stoop who looked like he needed brightening. She smiled and said hi, to no response.

She picked up her daughter and had a moment of pride as she remembered the parent teacher conference she had had early that morning, that reminded her that she has a pretty great kid as a daughter. The kids played in the school yard, just a half black away from where her car was parked. She took a little extra time to let them play and to talk with some of the moms that she hadn't talked to since it got COLD...

As they walked to the car she said to the girls: "Let's go to the playground....and let's call some friends and see if they want to go with us."

As they approached the car they saw the shattered window. She thought:" Is that my car? Yes, that's my car. Goodness, there must have been an accident. Oh no, that was no accident, that was done on purpose. Was it because I parked a little over the yellow line and the driveway owners were disgruntled?

MY PURSE.

My purse was in the front passenger seat.

Why did I leave my purse in plane sight on the passenger seat?

Because I do this everyday, and sometimes I bring my purse and sometimes I leave it in the car, because the neighborhood is full of people especially at this time of day with school being out and it being 60 degrees, and I am only gone for 10 minutes.

I need to call someone.

My phone. My phone was in the purse.

What else was in my purse?

My WALLET."

She turned around and rang the first bell she saw. The ladies there kindly let her use the phone to call 911. Given the condition of her car window and the absence of her purse, she immediately thought of the number: 911. The cops came speedily but there was no formal report filed because this was a crime that happens all the time and it was her stupid mistake.

Everything started unraveling. She realized that her keys to her new condo were in the purse...with the name of the building in big block letters on the key ring, and her unit number taped to the key. Brilliant. No extra copies, husband in Boston, no way to get in. Also brilliant. She thought of the guy on the stoop...why didn't he stop it? She was pretty sure it was because he did it.

She drove to her friends house, who she was going to invite to the park and instead she called all the numbers, researched all the options, and waited. While she waited she blogged. And sobbed.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

1. Computer is working. Internet, Email, EVERYTHING2. Phone is working.3. Cable and Tivo are working4. Closets are installed.5. Office is ALMOST installed, All 18 shelves are put up, but the desk was the WRONG color. All the shelves are walnut, they sent a silver desktop huh? Must exchange at Container Store this weekend, along with a few other odds and ends.6. Walls are scuffed. Of course.7. Kids room is the closest to being put together....so the baby feels a little more secure today.8. Food is stocked.9. New carpet sheds like a cat. RATS.10. Paint color works11. 3/4 of the boxes are unpacked and disposed of...but not necessarily put away.12. Chairs put together.13. Dishwasher working.14. Too scared to try the washer just yet.15. Kids books on shelf16. Found a spot for the dreaded beach toys, and Macy's Day Parade gear.17. Bed frame set to arrive by the weekend18. Gets cold at night.19. Met a few neighbors: nice.20. Beautiful sunrise this morning when I woke up.21. Back sore.22. Eyes tired.23. Final callback for Spelling Bee on Thursday, the 29th for James Lapine and Bill Finn, there is improv involved, if I get it, I leave 2 days later. Having imaginary diarhhea about that, glad to have the distraction of the condo.24. Informercial Audition tomorrow.25. Friends who helped me put everything together are AMAZING. Thank you friends.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

On Sunday I told my daughter to enjoy the night b/c it was her last sleep in her "old" apartment. That was a lie, because it was really last night. I guess I was just wishing that moving day was one day earlier.The last few days we have been in full chaos mode. Thankfully I had no auditions yesterday, so I could focus on the remaining details that are moving. It felt good to finally clean out all the stuff I wanted to clean out, to sort through all the stuff I had been wanting to sort, and to fantasize about the new condo and how clean and organized it will be someday.

Over the weekend I had a few home improvement projects. One was staining my pine tv stand to a dark dark walnut brown. There are a few gliches, but for my first time, I am very happy with the outcome. I will post pix of the before and after once I have them.

My OTHER project was to paint my entire master bedroom and one teeny tiny wall of my office on Saturday. It was a big job, and luckily my friend saved me and came to help me finish it. Again, there are a few imperfections, but overall I am very happy with the outcome, and again...pix will follow.

As I am in the middle of all of this, my mind keeps wandering to the possibility of getting the Spelling Bee job. The callback is early next week, and the contract starts just days later, so IF I were to leave town on April 1st, that would be so strange to come back 7 weeks later. I think I would feel homeless, b/c I won't have been in the new condo long enough to have the look and feel of it memorized.

But Chaos seems to follow me wherever I go, so it really would make perfect sense to move and then leave town for almost 2 months right?

Monday, March 19, 2007

I should be packing, but instead I am blogging, while I wait for my mouth to stop itching after eating a banana which according to my $1200- allergy blood tests, I am NOT allergic to. That's another story for another time. $400 to find out if I am allergic to mussells....oops, sorry I promised, another time.Remember that scene in the film Mary Poppins when the maid says: "POSTS EVERYONE!", and everyone takes a position to protect a valuable object from being broken by the blast above their home?

Well, apparently I have a POSTS EVERYONE situation in the new condo...it's called the SPIN cycle of my new washer.

The washer is CRAZY....it does not walk, it RUNS around it's teeny tiny closet, like the White Rabbit's Pocket watch at the Tea Party in Alice in Wonderland. This happened two times, where I literally had to put all my weight on top of it, to stop it from running down the hallway.

It was concerning, so I went home and googled: "Bosch Washer crazy", and found a thread of other crazy washer owners, who had really great suggestions. One of which was to buy some vibration pads to absorb the spinning vibrations during the spin cycle.

Apparently these are only found on ebay, and I bid on one the other night, but got outbid by $.24. LAME. I wasn't paying attention to when the auction ended. So I have to win this next one, b/c they don't sell anything like it at Home DePot, and you KNOW I will not be deterred from my washer not working...it WILL WORK DARNIT! (but I am really saying the OTHER word in my head).

I feel like I should post a little something in the elevator for all the new tenants, because I have a feeling they are ALL going to have this problem, and are going to need these handy dandy vibration pads. Maybe I should buy ALL the ones on EBAY and resell them to the tenants...oh who am I kidding, I don't have time for a new business venture right now.

Friday, March 16, 2007

It's official. I just got home from closing on our first condo purchase. I told my husband, it was like renewing our vows. I signed my name and initials so many times I said, "we are NEVER getting divorced."It is a nice feeling to know that we have been working towards this goal for almost 9 years, and it has finally come to fruition. I always knew I would be a homeowner one day, but I never imagined that home to be a 2-bedroom condo in Queens!

As we walked home in the sleet/ice/hail storm that has descended upon our 64 degrees from yesterday, we held hands and bowed our heads against the wind. Walking through that storm together, hand in hand was the perfect metaphor for what we have been through and the life that is ahead of us. Together, we can do anything.

Now begins the moving in part. Tonight I will go over to the new digs and clean and tape for tomorrow's painting job. I am looking forward to our new bedroom and the light periwinkle blue walls. It will be so soothing.

Also this morning, right before the closing, I had an audition for the 1st National Tour of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the part of Rona. I feel that it went well, so that was a nice beginning of our closing day.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

"MOM..."She looked at the clock. eight fifty six. EIGHT FIFTY SIX! She did the math...she had 19 minutes to be out the door and on her way to her 10:15 Audition. She checked the alarm, oh yes, set for 8 PM.She realized that in 19 minutes she would not be able to get both kids dressed, fed, and out the door ready to face the world, so she called some friends, and luckily one of them could hop in a cab and come over to watch them. She changed clothes, grabbed her makeup bag and split. She hadn't washed her hair since Disneyland a few days ago, and her last square meal was an In and Out Burger from lunch the day before.

She did her makeup ON the train, something she would rather not do, and made it to the audition with 6 minutes to spare.

The audition went well, and then she had to race home to pick up the kids and take a cab to the new condo, for their second (and hopefully final) walk-thru. The kids were really good, the condo looked good, she just didn't smell very good.

While she was there she got a phone call; an audition for the tour of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. These are the same Casting People as Young Frankenstein, so at first she was hoping it was a call about that....oh well, this was still good news.

She walked through the condo trying to picture her life there in less than one week. She breathed in and breathed out, out of her one clear nostril, (but not too deeply since she only had 19 minutes to freshen up that morning), and she felt the future around the corner.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

My brother had spring break this week. He decided to head to CA with some friends, and he hung out with my girls and me for about 3 days. We had such a great time.He is 18. He is tall and cool and social and he has a great heart. The poor guy has three sisters and three nieces. Zero brothers. Zero nephews. Whoever marries him is going to be a very lucky girl.

Yesterday my 18-year-old college freshman brother spent an entire day at Disneyland with 5 little girls under the age of 5, and their 3 mothers. He went on Alice, Peter Pan, Mr. Toads, Small World, Dumbo and Winnie the Pooh. He sat through a few Princess shows, and even met a few Disney princesses. On Pirates, he held my daughter's hand so she wouldn't get scared. On the tea cups, all nine of us piled in one cup, and he was the master spinner. He is the best uncle ever.

Due to the nature of our group, there was a lot of chaos for much of the day. Several times he would come up behind me and say: Sam, checking in. It was so funny... like he was one of the kids too. When we left him in the Timone Parking Lot at 9 at night, all of sudden I felt like I had lost something. It was his energy that I lost...I had had it with me for three days, and his absence was strongly felt.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

It feels strange to be in very sunny, warm and dry California with the mother of all sinus infections. I cannot recall a time when I have been constantly wiping up the snot from my toddler's nose while she digs in sand on the beach..being sick and being at the beach just doesn't go together.On the bright side, it is nice to be out and get our winter fill of Vitamin D. Although I could do without the smell of sunscreen and the sand in the scalp, I am enjoying the break.

See, the past several times we have tried to do a sunny destination in the winter, the weather has absolutely NOT cooperated. We were in Arizona during record low temparatures (I wore PANTS to church for the first time in my life while in arizona, and I grew up in CHICAGO!). When we tried the Bahamas cruise, we were wearing sweaters on the beach. Nobody told me that December = winter there as well. Even last February we were totally underdressed for our Disneyland vacation.

But tomorrow it is going to be 90 degrees. Yup. Hot, sweaty, sunscreen four times a day, gulping water, HOT. It will be a perfectly draining Disney day.

It has been so nice to be with our friends who we miss so much. Tonight we had a birthday party for my big girl. 3 other families came, all of who used to live in my hood and now live in CA, and we ate great food and conversed just like old times. Finding true, amazing, fun friends is such a blessing, and so rare, that it was great to just remember the good old days for an afternoon. We took a nice photo of all of us as a keepsake of the night. I had this idea that we should all close our eyes for one picture, just like Earl in My Name is Earl. It is the BEST picture. Everyone should take pictures with their eyes closed, while grinning, it's hilarious.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Calyeefornia, is how my daughter pronounces the state in which we are flying to today. I love that she says it that way.Why are we going to Calyeefornia? Thank you for asking.

Here is why:

My daughter turned 5 yesterday, and when we were planning her birthday party, the plan was to have it in our brand new condo!

As the brand new condo plans started to unravel, I did too.

I tried to picture the party in our current apartment. I imagined creating a McDonalds Playland-like jungle gym with the towering multi-level expanse of boxes collecting in the dining nook of our apartment, or letting the girls have a free-for-all on the boxes with sharpies, or having relay races that involved wrapping and packing my dishes, but in the end I decided all of that was far too hazardous to my precious stuff (not the children of course).

I then let my mind wander to the various public places around here that accomodate birthday parties. I pictured the few I had been to: tables, chairs, table cloths, loud music, live acts (clowns, princesses), ponies (ok I saw those circling an alley around a nearby apartment building, I wasn't ACTUALLY invited to that one), food for like a hundred people, 3 generations of guests, balloons, prizes, games, utter chaos, starting hours late, ending even later, and all the planning and preparation that must go into those parties.

Then I thought about Chuck E Cheese.

Then I remembered that we got a tax return.

And I got on jetblue.com and decided that we would have a party in the sky and go visit friends in California to celebrate instead of riding ponies in the alley.

So, we are going to Pasadena to see our BFF's, and because we are so popular, 2 MORE friends decided to come see us, AND my brother. So, it was a great decision (except for losing the Ripper reading....ok last time I will mention it), and it would be even more fantastic if my baby didn't start running a slight fever tonight, and I didn't have the mother of all sinus infections, and if I was coming home to my nice new condo, and if I had won the $370 million dollar New York lottery, and...

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Her DH woke her up on Friday morning with these words:"It may not be an Oscar, but it's something....come read this"Her first thought in her groggy, half-asleep state was "Helen Hayes?", because that is the only theatrical award she had ever been nominated for (5 YEARS ago), and that as part of an ensemble cast.

She went to the computer and read an email from the associate principal from her high school, and learned that she had been chosen to receive the DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD this year.

She had no idea what that meant.

Later in the day she spoke with him on the phone and he explained that they have been giving this award out to Alumni for the past 10 years (which would explain why she had never heard of it, since her 10 year reunion is coming up), and mentioned a few of the past winners.

As part of her acceptance of the award, she will be attending the acedemic awards ceremony on May 9th, and presenting a 10-15 minute keynote speech, a powerpoint on her career, and singing a song.

This is so out of left field that she doesn't quite know what to think. She has had the blues lately about the approaching 30th birthday (in 2 years), and wondering if she has done enough in her life...this award is helping her see that she is doing ok so far, and after reading about the past distinuished alumni, she is honored to be joining them.

So, that was a nice surprise, especially after her Long Liz dissappointment, and it means a free trip back home!

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Darling Firstborn,I cannot believe that it has been 5 years since you were born. I know in the blink of an eye I will be writing: I can't believe it's been 25 years since you were born.

Thank you for making me a mother. You introduced me to this world with such kindness and gentleness. You are so full of love. You share it and take it with open arms. You are a wonderful example to me of unconditional love. I admire your ease at friendship and your openness to the world and learning.

I am so full of joy when I watch you try, fail and succeed. I love watching you discover, explore and use your imagination. It brings me such pleasure to listen to you sing and watch you dance, all with such grace and freedom.

You take such good care of your little sister. I am so proud of you when you comfort her and care for her, and teach her something new. I am really looking forward to watching you blossom into a beautiful bouquet of a human being. Thank you for putting up with your very-flawed mother, and forgiving me all my mistakes. I love you very much.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

This trip to Orlando was my second or third time in the past 6 months that I have traveled alone. 2 out of the 3 times, I missed my family. I know it seems strange, but there is something about the absence of the goodnight kiss that really jars me. Usually it is quite unceremonious, the goodnight kiss, but it's absence was felt very strongly last night.Enough for the mushy stuff.

I went to Orlando for the Organon Convention. I think about 800 people were there to do what pharmaceutical people do at a convention...I have no idea what that is.

My role was to be the live Nuvaring girl. They set up a Nuvaring mini-set that basically had the word NUVARING in neon blue lights, and there was a photographer, and the Nuvaring Sales Reps would take photos with me, and one other model.

At the convention they introduced another Nuvaring Girl...she's the girl in the materials that the reps give the doctors...so it was the two of us with a wide variety of folks from all across the United States. I was glad that she was there, because then we could both talk about how interesting the whole experience was. Her name is Sabrina, you can see her in an Aquafresh commercial right now, and if you go to their website, she is the model for EXTREME CLEAN.

Anyway, the reps for Nuvaring had 3 things to say/ask over and over again:1. You look younger in person.2. You look prettier in person.3. Do you use Nuvaring? (This was a very common question from the ladies.)

Well, not that my birth control methods are anyone's business, but I answered honestly, and I think this sincerely dissappointed a lot of the reps (you can guess what my answer was). And it prompted them to go into a full-scale PITCH of Nuvaring. It was nice to see the passion they had for their product, and as rep after rep told me that they are users, it lent itself to a visual that I just didn't need, thank you...which is why I think it is a good idea, in general to avoid topics like contraception, when meeting someone for the very first time.

But hey, this is what they do, and this is what they love, and I probably would have asked the same thing...

Orlando was just too spread out for me, ironically making me feel quite claustraphobic. I am glad to be home, I can breathe again.

Monday, March 05, 2007

I am off to Orlando this morning to attend a Nuvaring Dinner.Yes, you read that correctly.

I have been wondering what EXACTLY that meant for about a week, and trying to get answers so that I could plan my wardrobe. Is it black tie? Am I speaking? Am I just schmoozing with high-powered pharmacuetical executives? Should my attire be summery since it's Orlando? So many questions.

I got the answer on Friday. My agent's assistant: "Make sure your are home on Saturday morning b/c they are fedexing you a package with your wardrobe...it is the same exact outfit that you wore in the commercial"

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.

So, sure enough there it was on my doorstep at 11 AM the next morning, looking just like the black pants and brown shirt that it is. I hope they don't mind if I wear my OWN black flats (since those I wore in the commercial hurt very badly,), and that my hair is not the same color and cut that it was...

Apparently my role at the dinner is to shake hands and sign autographs. I am an Organon Celebrity. It will be fun...I will have the full report upon my return, tomorrow.

PS A lot have you have been asking about Young Frankenstein. I have heard absolutely nothing. I will give it one more week before I remove it from my brain waves as a remote possibility.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

The Container Store came. They left piles and piles of boxes. Enough to organize 3 closets and an entire home office. Sigh. I can't wait to move.There have been a few other design ideas coming to the surface that I would like to share. The kitchen area will have this pot rack:

There is a teeny tiny wall space outside of the girl's bathroom, and since we have no linen closet, I bought this to store extra towels and toiletries:

I have bought a bed spread and chandelier for the master bedroom. The plan is to paint the walls the same light blue color that is in the bed spread. It is sort of a light blue with a hint of periwinkle. And to hang the chandelier (this will require the help of an expert...DRAT!), above the bed. I have picked out a bed that I want to purchase, but we need to save up for it.

The girls room I have decided to hold off on decorating until I can just purchase the whole room (beds, linens, mattresses, curtains, rug, etc), but I have my heart set on this chandelier, and pretty much anything from pottery barn teen.

I made a few other purchases recently from Urban Outfitters, but they are surprise for my husband, and since he faithfully reads the blog, I cannot post them here yet. Sorry.

Friday, March 02, 2007

I had my callback for Ripper yesterday. I thought I did a good job looking the part (they wanted me to be tall and have a long neck), and I felt great about the scene and the accent.When I got there I went in first, and for some reason, I took that as a good sign. I had fun doing the scene and singing just a small portion of my song.

5 hours later they called and offered me the part of Long Liz, the lanky prostitute. I accepted and reminded them of the conflicts I had mentioned before. In a follow-up email I gave them the specifics of my conflicts and they replied with: That's not going to work after all.

I tried to change my flight back from LA so that I could work around it, but even the change didn't bring me back to town fast enough.

I could cancel the trip, but I promised my daughter a trip to California for her 5th birthday, and I don't want to cut it short. It means too much to both of us.

So, it was fun being Long Liz for 10 minutes. I think I played the part very well. And most importantly, it was just nice to be offered a job in musical theatre again...it's been a while.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Her calltime was 7 AM. Yahoo Maps indicated Silvercup was 8 minutes away. She left with only 11 minutes to get there. By the time she parked and found Stage 4, she was about 7 minutes late.The manicurist and makeup artist had been in the business 27 years, her whole life. It was nice to be pampered with beautiful makeup and beautiful nails. Her makeup artist had just done Gwyneth Paltrow's makeup for the Oscars. She said Gwyneth is really down to earth.

She talked education with her makeup artist, and learned all about Rudolf Steiner, the type of education her 9-year-old daughter participates in, in LA.

Her hair was swept back and she changed in her camisole/slip wardrobe, and then it was time to go on the set. Lighting always takes a long time. She was patient with ALL those lighting changes and hemming and hawings.

Then it was time to tape. First, closeups, smiles, looking down, looking away, leaning into shoulder, tilting head, smiling, etc. Second shot, touching her face and smiling. Third shot, using the facial cleanser on her face in a brushing motion, to indicate washing with the product. Done.

She was so happy, she was wrapped so early, that she got to pick up her daughter from school. And she got a few hours to relax and prep for her Pirates audition.

On the way to the Pirates audition, she listened to the score on her ipod. It brought back such great memories. What a wonderful show Pirates is! When she walked in to audition, she was surprised at how many people were behind the table. She recognized someone from the Rosie 'O Donnell Show; John McDaniel. She had been clueless, up to that moment, that he was involved in this new revamped, Carribean version of Pirates. Cool, she thought.

She sang well, and they laughed at her scene. She went home, and picked up her daughters at the dance school, ate dinner and went to bed. She only woke up once during the night because she dreamt her baby was drowning in the toilet. She thought a psycho analyst might suggest she was feeling guilty for working a lot lately. She's glad it was only a dream.